Cell Phone Based Sound Production

Abstract

A cell phone based sound producing device is a sound producing device that takes advantage of the likelihood that a user is already carrying a cell phone and does not need to also carry an electronic sound producing device. Another advantage is that cell phones are designed to communicate across a communications network. As such, the cell phone based sound producing device can download sounds from a server, store them, and play them. Electronic payment systems for ring tones that are played on a cell phone already exist. These electronic payment systems can be adapted to payment for sound producing device modules and for sounds. Recovery information can be used to restore modules and sounds that are lost due to cell phone breakage or upgrades.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/622,370 filed on Jan. 11, 2007 entitled “Cell Phone Based Animal Sound Imitation” and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments relate to sound producing devices, digital audio devices, remote controls, cellular telephones, communications networks, and data servers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

People have made and used sound producing devices to produce sounds since prehistoric times and continue to make and use them. Sounds are produced for a variety of reasons. Call sounds are sounds whose purpose is to imitate an animal. Certain sounds can entice an animal to respond and sometimes to come closer. Other sounds are enjoyable to humans and can invoke a human response. Over time, sound production technology has changed while the purposes have largely remained the same.

A person uses a sound producing device to produce a sound. In general, the sound is an attractive sound such as an imitation of an animal vocalization. Different sounds are appropriate for enticing different responses. For example, elk can respond to any of a variety of elk vocalizations or other attractive sounds such as antlers thrashing in brush. Similarly, turkey can respond to any of a variety of turkey vocalizations or other attractive sounds such as beating wings. Predators, such as coyotes, often respond to prey animal vocalizations such as those of a distressed rabbit.

Electronic sound producing devices are devices that are readily available from a variety of manufacturers. These devices can store digitized game animal vocalizations and other sounds. Electronic sound producing devices, however, are additional pieces of equipment that must be carried or bought. Furthermore, current electronic sound producing devices have cumbersome methods at best for obtaining and storing new sounds. A need therefore exists for an easily loaded and carried electronic sound producing device.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the embodiments and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.

It is therefore an aspect of the embodiments to provide an electronic sound producing device comprising a display and a human input device (HID) such as a keypad. A non-volatile memory stores at least one stored sound such that the electronic device can access and play the stored sound.

It is also an aspect of the embodiments to present a user interface to a user. The display and the HID are used for the user interface. A presentation of available sounds can be presented on the display. Each available sound corresponds to a playable sound. The user can use the HID to select one of the available sounds to thereby produce a sound selection corresponding to a selected sound. The stored sounds can be available as can some served sounds provided by a server.

It is another aspect of the embodiments that a sound retrieval module can obtain served sounds from the server and can store them in the non-volatile memory. Storing a served sound in the non-volatile memory produces a stored call sound.

It is also another aspect of the embodiments that a sound producing module accesses the stored call sounds and plays them on a speaker. The speaker can be an internal speaker that is part of the electronic device or can be an external speaker that is not. External speakers receive signals from the electronic device and use them to produce sound. Signals can be transmitted using wires, wirelessly using electromagnetic radiation, or in some other way.

It is yet another aspect of the embodiments that recovery information can be generated such that lost sounds can be recovered. Lost sounds are sounds that were stored in the non-volatile memory but have become lost due to malfunction, error, or some other event.

It is a further aspect of the embodiments that the electronic device can be a cell phone. A cell phone can be adapted for use as an electronic sound producing device by adding the appropriate modules, such as the sound retrieval module and the sound producing module. Some embodiments can also include a cell phone control module that can turn off the cell phone's cellular radio and thereby conserve energy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate aspects of the embodiments and, together with the background, brief summary, and detailed description serve to explain the principles of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cell phone adapted for use as a sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a high level block diagram of a cell phone adapted for use as a sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates a high level block diagram of an electronic sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates available sounds in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

FIG. 5 illustrates a high level block diagram of obtaining and playing a sound in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

FIG. 6 illustrates a high level block diagram of using an inactivated cell phone as an electronic sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; and

FIG. 7 illustrates shifting a sound in pitch and tempo in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof. In general, the figures are not to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cell phone 103 adapted for use as a sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. The cell phone 103 is illustrated as having an internal speaker 104, display 105, and keypad 112. The display 105 is illustrated as showing a presentation 108 of available sounds such as “Turkey Cluck” 106 and “Turkey Purr” 109. “Turkey Cluck” 106 is also the selected sound as indicated by the heavy outline. The keypad 112 is a human input device (HID) having keys 107 that a user 111 can press. Many cell phones have other HIDs such as joy sticks or touch sensitive displays. Regardless of the HID, the user 111 can manipulate the HID to navigate the user interface and to select available call sounds.

The cell phone 103 can use a communications network 110 to send and receive data from a server 101. The cell phone 103 can download a served sound, such as “Crow Caw” 102 from the server and store it in non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory is memory that persists after a device is turned off. Storing “Crow Caw” in non-volatile memory creates the “Crow Caw” stored sound.

Non-volatile memory can fail for a number of reasons. For example, the cell phone can catch fire destroying all stored data. A backup server 113 can be used to recover the stored data. The backup server 113 can contain recovery information 114 or the recovery information 114 can be held elsewhere, perhaps in removable storage. The recovery information 114 can be used to recover all the sounds that the user 111 had stored in the cell phone 103.

Sounds can be free or can be paid for. When they are paid for, the user 111 can provide information to a payment processor 115 who uses a payment processing module 116 to obtain payment. The information often includes an account number, user identifier, and the sound, or sounds, which the user 111 wants. The payment processor 115 can then inform a fulfillment module 117 that the user 111 is allowed to access the sounds. The user 111 can then obtain the sounds from the server 101.

Permission information can be used to prevent or allow the playing of sounds. The permission information can be used to restrict the playable sounds to those obtained from a specific server or provider. For example, a provider can encrypt a sound so that a decryption key is required for playing it. The permission information can restrict playing to a specific device. For example, every cell phone has a unique identifier that can be used to verify that a particular cell phone is allowed to play a particular sound. Another possibility is that a password can be required to unlock a sound. Those familiar with the digital rights management are familiar with permission information.

FIG. 2 illustrates a high level block diagram of a cell phone 103 adapted for use as a sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. The cell phone 103 has a non-volatile memory 205 for storing stored sounds 206. The keypad 112, display 105, and any other HIDs are part of the user interface 207. The cell phone uses a cellular radio 204 to communicate with the communications network. The user interface 207 is used to select available sounds and the sound retrieval module 201 can use the cellular radio 204 to help obtain served sounds from a server. A sound producing module 207 can access the stored sounds 206 and play them on a speaker 207.

The sound producing module 207 can play a sound when a key is pressed, upon receiving a timed actuation signal 208, or upon some other event. A timing module 203 can produce the timed actuation signal 208. A timed actuation signal can be periodic or can occur once after a time period elapses.

The cell phone 103 can also contain a payment module 209 and a cell phone control module 202. The payment module 209 interacts with the payment processing module of FIG. 1 to facilitate payment. The cell phone control module 202 can shut down and restart the cellular radio 204. Shutting down the cellular radio 204 conserves energy while using the cell phone 103 as a sound producing device. The reason is that being outside the range of the communications network makes the cellular radio 204 useless. Furthermore, many cell phones go into a power consumptive mode when searching for a communications network or when barely in range of a communications network.

FIG. 3 illustrates a high level block diagram of an electronic sound producing device 304 in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. The electronic sound producing device 304 has many of the same components as the cell phone of FIGS. 1 and 2. However, a communications module 301 takes the place of the cellular radio. A remote actuator 303 is illustrated sending a remote actuation signal 305 that can trigger the sound producing module 207 to play the selected call sound. The sound producing module 207 can play the call sound on an external speaker 302. The external speaker can have a wired or wireless connection to the electronic sound producing device 304.

FIG. 4 illustrates available sounds 401 in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. Stored sound 1 402 and stored sound 2 403 are in the non-volatile memory while served sound 1 404 and served sound 2 405 are on a server. All four sounds are available because the sound retrieval module can obtain the served sounds and store them. A presentation 406 presents a user with available sounds. Available sound 1 407 corresponds to stored sound 1 402. Available sound 2 408 corresponds to stored sound 2 403. Available sound 3 409 corresponds to served sound 1 404. Available sound 4 410 corresponds to served sound 2 405.

The user selects one of the available sounds as the sound selection 411. The sound selection 411 corresponds to the selected sound 412 that is also one of the available sounds 401. The sound selection is communicated to the sound producing module 207. If the selected sound 412 is not among the stored sounds 303, then the sound retrieval module 201 can obtain it from the server 101 and store it. The sound producing module 207 can play the selected sound 412.

FIG. 5 illustrates a high level block diagram of obtaining and playing a sound in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. After the start 501, a cell phone accesses a server 503 and downloads sounds for storage on the cell phone 504. The user is presented with the available sounds 505 and makes a sound selection 506. If the selected sound is not stored 507 on the cell phone, then it must be obtained 508 from the server. Once the selected is stored, an actuation signal can be waited for 509. On receiving the actuation signal, the selected sound is played 510 and the process is done 511.

FIG. 6 illustrates a high level block diagram of using an inactivated cell phone 601 as an electronic sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. A cell phone, such as that illustrated in FIG. 2, can be inactivated by removing its association with a cellular network. For example, people often upgrade their cell phones and end up with an old cell phone that is inactivated. They cannot use the old cell phone to make calls or to access the cellular network because it is inactivated. An Inactivated cell phone 601 can have a functioning cellular radio, but the cellular network ignores it. As such, the cellular radio merely wastes power.

The inactivated cell phone 601 can function as an electronic sound producing device similar to the cell phone 103 of FIG. 2 with a few exceptions. The inactivated cell phone cannot use the cellular radio to connect to a server and obtain additional sounds. Call sounds can, however, be obtained from a computer 602 with access to sounds 603. Most cell phones, inactivated or not, can be connected to a computer by a link 605. Some links are wired and others, such as Bluetooth links, are wireless. Most computers require a cell phone access module 604 in order to access the data and modules within a cell phone. Regardless, the computer 602 can place stored sounds 206 into a cell phone. In fact, a computer 602 can configure an inactivated cell phone 601 as an electronic sound producing device by downloading all the required sounds and modules. As such, a useless inactivated cell phone can be recycled to produce an electronic sound producing device.

FIG. 7 illustrates shifting a sound 701 in pitch and tempo in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. A sound 701 passing through a pitch shifting module 702 results in a pitch shifted sound 703. Passing a sound 701 through a tempo shifting module 704 results in a tempo shifted call sound 705. Those practiced in the art of signal processing are familiar with techniques for shifting a signal's pitch or tempo.

Pitch can be shifted by modulation or by using a Fourier transform algorithm to obtain the signals spectrum. The spectrum can then simply be moved in the frequency domain and then converted back into a temporal signal. Tempo can be altered by adding or deleting sample points in the signal's digital waveform. Resampling can also be used for changing tempo. Sound engineers in the music industry often use signal processing packages to manipulate music. Pitch shifting modules, tempo shifting, and resampling modules are among the most basic modules within a modern signal processing package.

As anyone who has played a phonographic record or an analog magnetic tape at the wrong speed knows, shifting tempo can cause an induced pitch change. As such, pitch shifting modules are often used to correct for the induced pitch change.

It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a cell phone comprising an input device, a display, a cellular radio, an internal speaker and a non-volatile memory wherein a plurality of stored sounds are stored in the non-volatile memory;

a presentation displayed on the display and offering a plurality of available sounds wherein the available sounds comprise at least one of the stored sounds and at least one of a plurality of served sounds, and wherein a user chooses a selected sound from amongst the available sounds;

a sound retrieval module that automatically obtains the selected sound from a server when the selected sound is not one of the stored sounds and wherein the sound retrieval module stores the selected sound in the non-volatile memory such that the selected sound becomes one of the stored sounds;

recovery information for recovering lost sounds wherein certain of the stored sounds are lost to thereby become lost sounds;

a sound producing module that accesses the stored sounds to thereby play the stored sounds on at least one speaker wherein the internal speaker is one of the at least one speaker.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an external speaker that is one of the at least one speaker and wherein the sound producing module plays the at least one stored sound on the external speaker.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a payment module wherein the payment module to tenders a payment to a payment processor to thereby obtain access to the served sound.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a remote actuator wherein the remote actuator sends a remote actuation signal to the cell phone and wherein the cell phone reacts to the actuation signal by playing the selected sound.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the cell phone further comprises a pitch shifting module.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the cell phone further comprises a tempo shifting module.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an external speaker that is one of the at least one speaker and wherein the sound producing module plays the at least one stored sound on the external speaker;

a payment module wherein the payment module to tenders a payment to a payment processor to thereby obtain access to the served sound;

a remote actuator wherein the remote actuator sends a remote actuation signal to the cell phone and wherein the cell phone reacts to the actuation signal by playing the selected sound;

a pitch shifting module;

a tempo shifting module; and

a timing module that produces a timed actuation signal wherein the cell phone responds to the timed actuation signal by playing the selected sound.

8. A system comprising:

an electronic sound producing device comprising an input device, a display, and a non-volatile memory;

a communications module that the electronic device uses to communicate with a server that serves a served sound;

a non-volatile memory storing a plurality of stored sounds;

a presentation displayed on the display and offering a plurality of available sounds to a user wherein the available sounds comprise at least one of the stored sounds and at least one of the served sounds, and wherein a user chooses a selected sound;

a sound retrieval module that obtains the served sound and stores the served sound in the non-volatile memory as an additional stored sound;

recovery information for recovering the stored sounds; and

a sound producing module that accesses the at least one stored sound and plays the at least one stored sound on at least one speaker.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the selected sound is one of the served sounds, and wherein a sound retrieval module automatically obtains the selected sound from the server.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a payment module wherein the payment module to tenders a payment to a payment processor to thereby obtain access to the served sound.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising a timing module that produces a timed actuation signal wherein the electronic sound producing device responds to the timed actuation signal by playing the selected sound.

12. A system comprising:

a server that offers a plurality of served sounds to the user of a cell phone wherein the user selects one of the served sounds to be a selected sound, wherein the cell phone automatically retrieves the selected sound from the server and stores the selected sound as a stored sound in a non-volatile memory; and

recovery information for recovering lost sounds for the user wherein the user has lost certain of the stored sounds that thereby become lost sounds.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a backup server that the user contacts to thereby recover the stored sound.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising a backup server that stores the recovery information.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising a payment processing module and a fulfillment module wherein the cell phone is allowed to obtain the selected sound from the fulfillment module only after a corresponding payment to the payment module.

16. The system of claim 12 further comprising permission information that restricts the playing of a stored sound unless the stored sound was obtained from a specific provider.

17. The system of claim 12 further comprising permission information that restricts the playing of a sound obtained from the server to a particular cell phone.

18. The system of claim 12 further comprising a password that unlocks a sound for playing on a cell phone.

19. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a backup server that stores the recovery information and that the user contacts to thereby recover the stored sound;

a payment processing module and a fulfillment module wherein the cell phone is allowed to obtain the selected sound from the fulfillment module only after a corresponding payment to the payment module.

permission information that prevents the playing of the stored sounds to only those stored sounds obtained from a specific provider and allowing the stored sounds to be played only on a particular cell phone;

a password that unlocks at least one of the stored sounds for playing.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

the cell phone;

an input device, a display, a cellular radio, an internal speaker and a non-volatile memory wherein the cell phone comprises the input device, the display, the cellular radio, the internal speaker and the non-volatile memory;

a plurality of stored sounds stored in the non-volatile memory;

a presentation displayed on the display and offering a plurality of available sounds wherein the available sounds comprise at least one of the stored sounds and at least one of the served sounds, and wherein the user chooses a selected sound from amongst the available sounds;

a sound retrieval module that automatically obtains the selected sound from the server when the selected sound is not one of the stored sounds wherein the sound retrieval module stores the selected sound in the non-volatile memory such that the selected sound becomes one of the stored sounds, and wherein the cell phone further comprises the sound retrieval module;

a sound producing module that accesses the stored sounds to thereby play the stored sounds on at least one speaker of a plurality of speakers comprising the internal speaker and an external speaker and wherein the cell phone further comprises the sound retrieval module;

a payment module wherein the payment module to tenders a payment to the payment processing module and wherein the cell phone further comprises the payment module;

a remote actuator wherein the remote actuator sends a remote actuation signal to the cell phone and wherein the cell phone reacts to the actuation signal by playing the selected sound;

a pitch shifting module and a tempo shifting module wherein the cell phone further comprises the pitch shifting module and the tempo shifting module; and

a timing module that produces a timed actuation signal wherein the cell phone responds to the timed actuation signal by playing the selected sound, and wherein the cell phone further comprises the timing module.